Hey Cap
by thes233
Summary: After being injured on a mission, Steve falls into a come. A day passes. 2 weeks. A year. A lifetime.


**_Disclaimer: I don't own anything._**

* * *

 ** _Hey Cap._**

* * *

 _„_ _Hey Cap. How are you doing? Me? Oh, I'm good. Great, never been better. Everything's peachy. I mean, you are here, Bruce is still missing, and Thor has gone back to Asgard and no one's heard a word from him since. They are talking about holding us accountable for the damage we caused, and people are more scared of us now than ever before. And I have to pay for everything, because you, I always do. Oh, and you are here, did I mention that?"_

 _Hoarse laughter._

 _"_ _I'm sorry, Steve. I wish we could help you, but no one really knows what to do. You know us, we're impatient. And you really are testing our patience this time. I mean, how dare you, it's been two weeks and you haven't reacted to anything. Nothing they try works. The doctors say it'll just take time, and you'll wake up when you are fully healed. But, to be honest, I don't really believe them. They have reached the limits of their skills."_

 _Rustling, followed by a heavy sigh._

 _"_ _You were always a special case, weren't you?"_

 _"_ _They believe you can hear us. I don't think it's true. Otherwise, you would have woken up just to tell Barton to stop his whining. You wouldn't leave us hanging like this. But, you know, if you can actually hear me, we are all waiting for you. Please, Steve, you need to wake up!"_

* * *

He didn't even need to open his eyes to know that he was alone. The silence that surrounded him was overwhelming, the only noise was a frequent beeping noise. He tried to remember what had happened, but he couldn't recall anything. He didn't even know his name.

Keeping his eyes closed, he furrowed his brows.

He knew his name. It was on the tip of his tongue, waiting to break through the fog that still clouded his mind and made it difficult to think. The beeping noise became quicker, his heart started beating frantically. The silence became suffocating, and he tore his eyes open.

Darkness surrounded him. The pressure on his chest started increasing, and his hand flew up, tore away the pads and wires that his hands found attached to his chest. It didn't ease the pressure at all. He gasped for air, didn't take notice of the light that suddenly illuminated the room. He couldn't breathe, couldn't get air to stop the burning in his throat.

Air, he needed air, needed to breath.

He opened his mouth to cry for help, but no sound left his lips. He tried sitting up, anything to ease the pressure and get _air_ , but he felt a cold hand pushing him back onto the mattress.

"I need you to calm down!", a voice said, while a second voice yelled something incomprehensible. "Try to take a deep breath. Slowly, do it with me. In, and out. In and out, just like that."

He didn't know why, but he followed the instructions. His lungs expanded, the burning stopped as they filled with air. The fog that surrounded his brain, that fogged his vision slowly disappeared and he took notice of his surroundings.

He was in a hospital room, blonde nurse leaned over him. Her hand had stopped him from getting up and was still flat on his chest. He searched her face, saw the small smile she gave him, but he couldn't place her. He didn't know if he was supposed to know her or not. Only when he looked away from her, he saw the other people in the room. They were staying back, watching him with cautious eyes.

He could only guess that they were waiting for something. Or someone.

A glass of water entered his range of vision, and his fingers trembled as he reached for it. He hadn't realized how thirsty he was until he felt the liquid flowing down his throat, and he eagerly emptied the glass.

"There you are, Sam!", a voice shouted, relief evident in the tone.

The atmosphere in the room shifted as the man entered the room. He was tall, short black frame his dark-skinned face. Unlike all others, he wore black clothing, his shirt was decorated with a white symbol over his heart. A stylized eagle.

He knew that symbol.

"Mr. Wilson, I'm so glad you're here!", the blonde nurse said, and her hand lifted from his chest.

Wilson. He knew that name, too.

His eyes scanned over the man again, and tried placing the face, tried placing the name. Somehow, it didn't fit at all. The name awoke memories, little scenes that flew past his inner eye before he could actively reflect upon them, but he did notice one thing.

"You're not Sam Wilson!", the words slipped from his mouth before could stop them, and the man gave him a smile that he couldn't decipher.

"I'm not the Sam Wilson you know", he confirmed after a moment of hesitation and then turned to the nurse. "Can you leave us alone for some minutes?"

He watched as the nurse ushered all other people out of the room and then closed the door behind herself. He tried to contemplate the words, but found that thinking was exhausting, and that he shouldn't waste his little energy on it.

"Steve, a lot has happened while you were asleep", the man started, and his stomach churned.

Steve.

The name sounded familiar, and more images arouse in his brain. Growing up, joining the army to fight in a war, getting enhanced with a serum. Captain America. Bucky. Peggy. Crashing a plane into ice. Waking up 70 years in the future. SHIELD, aliens, the Avengers. Robots. His team.

He tried to ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach.

"How long was I asleep?", he asked carefully, remember the last time similar words were uttered to him. His voice sounded incredibly hoarse. Their eyes met, and he held the gaze.

"A while."

The answer sounded reluctant, and didn't help calming his uneasiness. Instead, it increased, and he prayed that he was just reading too much into the words.

"You said you aren't the Sam Wilson I used to know. Who are you?"

The other man snorted and shook his head.

"You just woke up, Steve. Do you really want to do this now?"

Stalling for time. Another bad sign, another twist of his stomach. He didn't voice his answer, didn't know if he could trust his voice enough to not break. He didn't want to appear weak.

"I am Sam Wilson, Junior. Sam Wilson, the one you know, he-" he closed his eyes. While he didn't know what the exact information he would get, he knew what it would allude to. Too similar was the situation, he was too good at reading the signs.

The emptiness of the room. The strange people. The wariness they had had around him. The absence of all his team members. Being asleep.

"-was my grandfather", the man finished.

* * *

 _"_ _Hey Cap. How are you today? Bored? Yes, I would be, too. You don't really get out much, do you? I don't remember the last time you were out of this room. Oh, wait, I do, actually. It was when Stark had you transferred to the tower. Two months ago? Something like that. I don't really keep track of time that much, anymore. You know, being retired and all."_

 _A chair scratching across the floor._

 _"_ _I still help out sometimes. With you being here, they need every hand they can get. I just came back from a mission, actually, that's why I'm here. Tasha got hurt, my kids didn't like that. I'm supposed to take care of their 'Aunt Natty'."_

 _A chuckle._

 _"_ _As if she'd need me to take care of her, she'd probably kill me if I tried. But she's gotten a bit softer, you know. Worrying about you leaves traces behind. Everyone changed a bit. We don't spend as much time together as we did before you –"_

 _The voice breaks._

 _"_ _Let's not talk about that, you know well enough what happened. What else is new? Stark made me a better bow, he's constantly down in his workshop now. We only see him when Pepper drags him out of there. Or when Peter comes around. Has anyone told you about Peter yet? No? Stark brought him around a couple weeks ago. I still don't know how I feel about it. He's only a kid, you know. But he has powers, even you'd get jealous. He can shoot spiderwebs. Calls himself Spiderman. Not many people know who he his."_

 _Voices in the background._

 _"_ _Laura's calling for me, we'll go back to the farm today._ _I don't- it's been a year now, Cap. I really wish you'd wake up soon. Can you tell your super-serum to heal you faster? I'd even let you try out the new bow."_

* * *

He watched the agents train through the window. They didn't know he was there, couldn't see him, but it gave him something to hold on to. War, fighting, it had always been a constant in his life. Soldiers would always be needed, no matter how often he managed to jump into the future.

It had been 2 days since he'd woken up. He hadn't seen Sam's grandson since, and was somehow glad about it. There were hundreds of questions running through his head, and some day, he'd probably get answers, but right now it didn't matter.

He did have some self-preservation and getting to know the things that took place while he was asleep. It would tear his heart apart to hear of he fates of his team mates. So far, he could only assume that they were not around anymore. After all, it had been two days, and he hadn't heard anything from them, they hadn't come to visit, to welcome him back into the world of the living. But as long as he didn't know for sure, he could still hope that someone was around. Someone from before.

How was he supposed to restart is life a second time? How was it fair that everyone, everything had been taken from him again? He didn't know what he'd done to deserve this fate. Maybe, he mused, it was punishment for the serum. Gain superstrength, pay with misery. Life really wasn't fair.

He watched the sparring soldiers. The determination in their eyes, the sweat running down their faces. A foot hit a chest, a body slammed onto the floor, the sound echoed through the room. The soldier got up again, ready fight back, his fists close to his body. His opponent said something, and for a moment, his mouth curved to a genuine smile, before he quickly jumped aside to avoid getting hit.

"How are you feeling?"

Steve turned around when he heard a voice. He hadn't heard Sam Wilson enter the room, but the younger man stood opposite him. He looked a bit wary, worry evident on his face.

"I'm good", Steve answered automatically. It wasn't the truth, he wasn't nowhere near good, but there was no use in worrying the SHIELD agent. His handler. He didn't like the sound of it, it always made him wonder whether they'd expect him to continue where he'd left all those years ago. He didn't know if he'd be able to do it again.

"You and I both know that that's a lie", Sam retorted, but his tone didn't hold any accusation. "But I'll leave you with it, for now."

Steve smiled gratefully and turned back to watch the training agents.

One was fighting with a punching bag. His fists hit the target, again and again. It swung back and forth, rhythmically, omitting a quiet screeching noise every now and then. The agent's eyes were focused on the bag, following its movements to avoid getting hit. His breath came quick, and after a while he stopped and grabbed the bottle of water that stood by the side, only to set it down again after a couple of zips and resuming his work.

"I heard a lot of stories about you. My grandfather told me a lot", Sam said and Steve turned his head to look at him.

"He never gave up hope that you'd wake up again. He's the one that brought me into SHIELD, and he made sure that I was the one who got assigned the you. My dad didn't like it. He said Grandpa was holding onto you too much."

Steve shoulders sank, guilt flooded his body. He hadn't wanted any of them to get caught up with Captain America. Not after that had already happened to Howard Stark.

"He never said anything, but everyone knows that he felt guilty. Technologies advanced, but no matter what, nothing helped to wake you up. When he realized that he'd die, his only regret was that he wouldn't be around when the time for you to wake up would come around. I promised him to be there instead."

The agents switched places, a new one going against the punching bag, a new pair sparring with each other on the mat.

"I intend to live up to my promise."

Steve smiled. It was an honest smile.

"I'm glad", he admitted then and sighed. "Is anyone still around?"

Sam hesitated, and then shook his head.

"No one you knew. But after the incident, Tony Stark introduced a new member to the team. He was younger than everyone else, and he's still alive. His name is Peter. I'm pretty sure he'd be willing to meet you if you would like to."

He put his hands on Steve's shoulder and pressed it softly.

"Peter knows a lot more than I do, he's been around them a lot more, a lot longer. If you want answers, which I'm sure you will eventually, he'll be your best shot."

Steve sighed as the agents left the training room.

"I don't know if I can do that again. If I can join another team and continue to spend my life fighting evil."

Sam stopped in the doorway and turned around halfway, a small smile gracing his lips.

"We don't expect you to, Steve. The time of superheroes is over, anyways."

* * *

 _"_ _Hey Cap. How are you feeling? It's been a while. I was gone for a couple of weeks, I had to get out. Why? I guess no one told you the news yet, did they? To be honest, I don't know what they tell you when they visit. I know they still come and visit you, but it's a little less than it was in the beginning. I know for sure that I don't come around as often."_

 _A sigh._

 _"_ _I feel guilty about it, you know. I feel like we abandon you, and you can't even fight to keep us here. But then again, knowing you…you'd probably want us to go on with our lives, even if it means leaving you behind. Sometimes, it hurts to see how things work without you now. Stark was made official leader of the Avengers. It's kind of ironic, isn't it? He said himself he's not a team player, and now he's suddenly the leader. But he's doing a good job."_

 _A glass of water being poured._

 _"_ _And then there's Peter. He's definitely not a replacement for you, you have to know that. But he brought life back into the tower. He's full of energy, constantly talking, and he can be incredibly stubborn. But his heart's in the right place, you would have liked him. You'll like him when you wake up and get to know him."_

 _A hint of a smile, slowly fading._

 _"_ _Bruce is back. That's why I had to leave. I was so angry at him for leaving us, and a part of me blamed him for your situation. I just kept wondering if things had gone different if he'd been here. I know it's not fair. He didn't know, he had no idea what happened. I saw the guilt in his eyes when he found out. So I shouldn't put more blame on him."_

 _Silence._

 _"_ _He also left me. That's another reason why I had to go. I needed to clear my head. I don't know what he expects now, where we stand. And I'm scared of finding out. Did you hear that? I just admitted I'm scared."_

 _Laughter._

 _"_ _Oh Steve, I wish you were around. We're living, you know, but it would be so much better if you were around. The doctors are still trying to find a solution, but no one's really sure why the serum is keeping you asleep. Your body isn't hurt anymore, it had two years to heal. They are worried that it's your brain that is keeping you back. Bruce is helping them out now, maybe that'll change something."_

 _Quiet footsteps._

 _"_ _I should probably go, the others don't know that I'm back yet. Maybe I can surprise the kids and take them to bed, they'd probably like that. See you soon, Steve, it won't be as long this time. I promise."_

* * *

New York had changed. This time, he was prepared for the world to be significantly different, so he didn't just rush out. There were still things that took him by surprise – unsurprisingly, many of them had some connection to Stark Industries. Steve guessed that Tony had invented some of the more complex things with the sole intention of annoying the him once he woke up. Maybe as a punishment that he didn't come back when the billionaire was still around.

He now stood in front of what had once been Stark Tower. A smirk appeared on his face. He'd called Stark Tower ugly, and this new _thing_ didn't deserve to be called a beauty, either. He wondered if Tony had been the one to come up with the plans. The doors slid open when he approached them, and he slowly entered.

A young man dressed in a navy uniform greeted him. Years ago, it would have been Happy in his place, and Steve swallowed hard. It was the first time that he was confronted with the fact that the positions he knew were filled with different people. His heart ached, and he longed for a familiar face. A face he wouldn't find, but that didn't ward off the sentiment.

"Steve Rogers", he said quietly. "I'm here to see Peter Parker."

He followed into the elevators. The other man didn't ask him anything. Unlike Happy, whom he'd gotten to know, who would, by now, have bombarded him with questions and stories about Tony. He tried pushing away the thought, but the sadness remained and pulled on his heart.

Peter Parker waited in one of the meeting rooms. Steve didn't know what he had expected, Sam Wilson hadn't told him much about the man. But the person he found definitely did not meet the image he had conjured in his head. Waiting by the windows was a man who was well past his younger days, grey hair surrounded his face. His suit reminded Steve of Tony Stark.

"Steve Rogers.", Peter inclined his head. "It is an honor to finally meet you."

Steve tried to smile, but failed epically.

"Likewise, Mr. Parker.", he replied. "Although, I heard that you made my acquaintance quite a while ago."

"Peter, please.

For a while, they stood in silence. Steve didn't really know how to start, fear hindered his ability to think. He knew he wouldn't be able to change anything that had happened, but he now hoped that his team mates had been able to live good lives.

"You probably have a lot of questions.", Peter's remark pulled him out of his thoughts, away from the depressing feeling that started to spread in his body.

"I do. But I don't really know where to start."

Peter chuckled. "I wouldn't know either", he admitted. "You probably don't even know who I am. Sam told me he didn't really explain anything."

Steve nodded.

"Tony Stark found me when I was 14. You had been asleep for about a year by then. He introduced me to the other Avengers, and I became part of the team. They needed me, with you gone. When I finished school, he offered me to work for Stark Industries, and I took up his offer. We were quite close, especially since he and Pepper didn't have children. He became a father for me, and I was like a son to him. I took over the company when the time came."

It was odd to think that there had been a point when Tony had given his company over to someone else. To think that Peter had been around for such a long time, and knew the lives of his friends better than he did.

He walked up to the other man, and silently, they looked down at New York. It looked so familiar, and yet so different than it had been in the early 21st century.

"What happened to the team?", he asked quietly.

"After the battle in New York, superheroes had a really bad reputation. New York was saved because of your sacrifice, but big parts of the city were destroyed, and many civilians died. They blamed the Avengers for it, and suddenly, superheroes became quite unpopular."

He had left his team alone during that time. Guilt took over all his senses. Not only had he left them alone, they also had to worry about him. They must have hated him for it.

"It kept going for a couple of years, especially after Bruce came back. But most missions were done under the radar of the public, no one needed to know about them. But things slowly ran their course, and we went on less and less missions. Age affects everyone, even the Avengers."

A bitter smile had appeared on Peter's face, and Steve realized how much younger than everyone else the boy had been. He had lost his father figure and his team mates. Now, in his old age, had to deal with the one other Avenger that was left, although they never really had gotten to know each other.

"Except for me", Steve answered without think and Peter turned to look at him.

"When it became obvious that you didn't age, everyone desperately tried to find a way to get you to wake up. They didn't want you to have to go through everything again, they wanted to be alive when you wake up. But no one ever discovered what was wrong. No matter what invention Tony came up with, it failed. No matter what explanation Bruce found, it was always the wrong one. They grew older and had to watch helplessly how you stayed in the coma, never reacting to anything.

Howard Stark was obsessed with finding you, and Tony Stark became obsessed with trying to wake you up. When he realized that he'd die, that he had failed you, it broke him. He left behind plans for machinery that we could try, although he knew deep down that nothing would work."

Steve closed his eyes, trying to imagine the pain he'd cause his friends. For the second time, he'd failed a group of people that he'd cared about, although it as worse this time. They had to watch him, while they slowly died. A lumped formed in his throat and he suddenly found it hard to breath.

"I would have never blamed Tony", he whispered hoarsely. Peter walked past him, his steps were heavy.

"I'm 75 now. I'm only glad that you came back to life before I passed away. I know that I am not familiar to you, but I have been around for almost the whole time. I was responsible for you before Sam took over, I know your history better than anyone else who is alive at the moment. And I am thankful that I could talk to you and tell you the story myself."

* * *

 _"_ _Hey Cap. I'd ask you how you are doing, but nothing really changed, did it? Not for you, at least. You're still here in the tower, still in the same room, you haven't even moved an inch since the last time I saw you. It's difficult, seeing you like this. And I haven't even been here from the start. I never really apologized for that, did I? I should have been there. Maybe things would have gone differently. I'll always have to live with that."_

 _A phone ringing in the distance._

 _"_ _The other guy doesn't like seeing you here. Sometimes, it's hard to hold him back. That's why I don't stop by often. It's safer for everyone like this, although Tasha keeps telling me that it'd be okay. She's a bit of a hypocrite, she doesn't visit you that often herself. It's been a couple of weeks since she's been here, hasn't it? Please, don't think we forgot about you, we haven't. I'm still working with the doctors to come up with a solution. Tony and I have tried to identify some components of the serum. He thinks if we manage to find out what part keeps you asleep, he'll be able to build a device that counteracts the effects."_

 _An amused groan._

 _"_ _He did find a new element, so I wouldn't put it past him to be able to work this out. Though, he's currently a bit distracted, Pepper's keeping him on his feet. They are getting married next week. Crazy, isn't it? It's considered the event of the year, although Tony has banned all press from getting anywhere close to the venues. They'll spend their honeymoon in the South Pacific, Pepper's taken off three months. Though, knowing Tony, they'll be back here after four weeks."_

 _Shuffling._

 _"_ _We still haven't heard a word from Thor. Everyone's a bit worried. We lost both of you at the same time, though, you know, at least we don't have to wonder where you are. You're just here. I wonder, do you know that we are around? There's theories that patients who are in a coma take note of what happens around them. 5 years of one-sided conversations, you are probably having the time of your life listening to us rambling to you. It's quite therapeutic, you know."_

 _Silence._

 _"_ _Though, yours isn't exactly a normal coma. I wish we could figure it out. We haven't given up, Steve. We never will."_

* * *

He stood in front of the cast-iron gate, willing his feet to take the few steps and walk through. Somehow, they didn't listen to him. His subconscious didn't really want to do this, didn't want to say goodbye. But both his heart and his mind told him that he owed them the visit, it was the least he could do after everything they had done for him.

His fingers clenched around the flowers in his hand. A thorn pricked his skin, but it didn't feel like much more than a pinch. Sometimes, he wished he could be normal. Normal people didn't wake up in the future twice, normal people didn't survive everyone they knew by decades. Normal people didn't live through several lifetimes.

He finally got his feet to move, and slowly followed the path, keeping his gaze down on the floor. Peter had told him where to go, and it really wasn't too hard to find, didn't take too much time. Shortly after, he stood in front of the simple grave, a heavy weight on his shoulders.

"Hey Tony."

He pulled out one of the roses from the bouquet in his hand and carefully put it down. Then he went onto his knees, his hand coming to rest on the grass floor.

"I just wanted to say thank you. Peter told me about everything you did, how hard you tried to get me back. I – I want you to know that I don't blame you. It's not your fault nothing worked. It's the curse of the serum, and I'll have to live with that."

He could feel wetness collecting in his eyes, his throat started burning. He tried to blink back the tears, but some still escaped and left burning traces on his cheeks.

"I'm just so sorry that you had to live with it, too", he choked out.

"I'm sorry for leaving you behind like that, for leaving to fight through everything. You shouldn't have been blamed, shouldn't have had to accept the consequences. You almost lost everything, Tony, only because of the Avengers. I'll never forgive myself for that."

For a while, he kneeled in silence. There were so many things he wanted to say, but the words were missing. His thoughts were running in circles, and no clear ideas formed in his head. He suddenly longed to hear the billionaire's voice, even if it was just to talk back at him. They had clashed often, but he'd always appreciated the opinion of the other man. He could really use his advice right now.

He would never get advice from Tony again, never hear his voice again. The reality suddenly crashed upon him, his eyelids became unable to hold back the mass of tears that clouded his vision. Scenes from the past started playing in front of his inner eye – to him, had only been a few weeks since they had taken place, but to the world, it had been decades. The events that were fresh on his mind, they were part of history now, some had evolved to the realm of myths.

"I wish you were here."

His voice was inaudible, but it didn't really matter. Tony would understand, anyway. The genius always understood.

"I wish all you were here!"

During the past two weeks, he hadn't really allowed himself to feel anything. He'd pushed his emotions aside, hadn't wanted to deal with the pain of losing his friends. But now, in front of Tony's grave, he couldn't really ignore it anymore, and he finally let his walls break.

Later, he'd visit the rest of the Avengers. They were all buried on the same cemetery, their graves only yards away from each other. He had brought a flower for every single one of them, and he'd apologize to all of them.

But for now, he needed to grieve.

* * *

 _"_ _Hello Steven. How are you on this fine day? I must apologize, I was held up by my obligations in Asgard. It appears to be only a blink of an eye to me, but I was informed that it were more than ten years since I last was on Midgard. I was also told that you have been asleep for all that time. Your fate troubles me. I wish I was able to help you, but I do not know of any remedy for your procurement. It is rather unique."_

 _A cape draping along the floor, thunderous footsteps._

 _"_ _I am perturbed about the situation in my kingdom. My father has passed on, and I have now taken over as king. Heimdall worries me. He sees trouble in the nine realms, and the signs forebode death. I cannot spend much time with you, I soon have to return and keep my people save. Our measures have become desperate. I have pardoned Loki – I am aware of your disapproval, Steven – and he has proven himself useful so far. Yet I fear leaving him under Heimdalls supervision too long, I am uncertain to what extent I can trust him."_

 _Glass breaking._

 _"_ _Legend talks of the demise of Asgard. My world has been shaken by unfortunate events – my father's death is one of them – and I fear for my brother's sanity. The sign point towards the near end of my kingdom, and I shall fight with all my power. I might not be successful, I am afraid that my failure is coming closer. I have seen death, I have seen my death."_

 _A door smashing against a wall._

 _"_ _You always were a worthy warrior, Steven. I may not be able to return, but if I shall, I shall gladly fight at your side again."_

* * *

He was once again standing in front of what once used to be Stark Tower. Someone had told him the new name, but he hadn't acknowledged it. To him, it was, and would always be, Stark Tower. Peter had called for him, and, to his surprise, greeted him in the foyer of the tower.

"Steve, it's great to see you again!", an honest smile was on his lips. "Let's walk!

He followed the older man into one of the many hallways. They walked in silence, Steve adjusting his speed. Peter was slower, it was clear that his age was catching up with him, and Steve couldn't help but wonder how much time he would have left until he would have to say goodbye to the next person.

They walked until they reached a locked door. An old-fashioned security panel was attached next to it. It looked as out of time as Steve felt. He looked at Peter quizzically, who pulled a card out of pocket.

"Before Tony passed away, he gave me the code to this room. He told me to make sure that you get the code once you wake up, and that no one should enter before."

He swiped the card and typed some numbers into the panel.

"No one has entered the room, just as Tony instructed. I admit, I was tempted often, but he trusted me, and I couldn't break his trust."

A boyish grin appeared on his face and Steve could catch a glimpse of the teenager that Peter Parker had once been. He'd heard stories of Peter's early days as an Avenger, and he had always been glad that, despite everything, the boy had apparently been allowed to live his teenage years as normal as possible. Now, he couldn't help but wish he'd been there to witness some of the pranks and the chaos that he'd only heard of.

"Let's take a look!"

When the door opened, it gave way to a large circular room. In its middle was a large table, along the wall were several large sliding doors. Peter turned to turn on the light, and as it flickered on, Steve saw himself face to face with a hologram of his old friend.

Hologram-Tony looked different. He was older, his face looked worn. Grey hairs hung into his forehead, and a scar adorned his cheek. He wore a shirt that belonged to a SHIELD uniform, his facial expression incredible serious.

"Captain Rogers", the billionaire's voice echoed through the room and Steve clenched his fists, his heart skipping a beat at the sound of the voice he knew so well. It was nothing more than a recording, but if he closed his eyes, he could make himself believe that it was real.

"If you see this, it means that Peter kept his word and brought you to this room once you re-joined the world of the living. Either that, or he passed the message along once he knew he'd be unable to do so. I admit, I really hope you were able to get to know Peter. It would be nice to know that there is one person in the future whom you can trust."

The hologram flickered.

"I don't know how much you know about how our situation currently is. We have to operate underground, and missions are getting harder. Somehow, we don't get younger, you see – not everyone is as lucky as you are. Thor has visited us once since our last battle and has been missing ever since. We have reason to believe that Asgard has fallen, and Thor didn't make it out of that battle alive."

The billionaire's face was filled with sorrow and regret. Steve couldn't help but hate seeing his friend like this and wished he would have been there.

"We will retire the Avengers Initiative soon. I would like to know that our treasures fell into trustworthy hands that won't misuse them. There is a fingerprint scanner on the wall next to the door, and it will only react to your fingerprints. Please, activate it."

Steve furrowed his brows, but slowly walked to the wall and did as the billionaire demanded. As soon as his finger touched the small device, the doors started to slide, and the table top split open and gave way to objects that rose from below. Steve's eyes grew wide as he saw the Iron Man suits that were lined up along the wall.

The objects on the table turned out to be weapons. Guns, knives, arrows, bows. His breath was taken away when he saw his shield among them. His hand reached out to the wall for support, and he had to close his eyes as his heart started beating frantically.

"Oh Tony!"

There were Sam's falcon wings leaning next to Warmachine's suit, and there on the table, neatly folded, was a pair of purple pants that had once belonged to the Hulk. He recognizes communication devices, saw his utility belt. There, in the middle, laid an arc reactor.

"It's not much", Hologram-Tony said. "I don't know when you see this. I don't know who'll be around. I cannot give you back your team members, Steve, I only wish I could. But I can give you something that belonged to us and entrust you take care of it."

He made a sweeping arm gesture.

"It's yours. The suits, the guns, the reactor. Feel free to do whatever you want, although I like to think you know what we'd approve of."

The hologram started flickering again, a sad smile appeared on Tony's face.

"Good luck, Captain. Avengers, Assemble."

And then the hologram disappeared and left Steve and Peter behind. Steve stared at the empty space where his friend had been, wishing him to appear again, longing to see and hear him again. He felt numb, wasn't able to move his feet, nor any other body part. Tears had sprung into his eyes, and he wasn't ashamed to freely let them fall.

"Thank you, Tony!"; he whispered and finally managed to get himself to walk towards the table, his hand tenderly touching the things that had once belonged to his friends.

* * *

 _"_ _Hey Cap. How are you doing? Yeah, I thought so. It's quite alarming, you know. You aged really well, too. Not a single wrinkle in your pretty face. They even give you haircuts. Do you believe me when I say you still look exactly the way you did when you were in your nineties? Or twenties, if you want to look at it that way. You should see us. Even Tasha's gotten old. Not as old as I am, of course, but you knew that."_

 _A chair falling back in his feet._

 _"_ _You should see Parker, though. He's 31 now. Feels like it was just yesterday that he was just a scrawny teenager. They do grow up quickly, don't they? Same with Barton's kids. They are all grown up now, ready to take on the world. You should see their optimism, you'd like it. Maybe we told them too many stories about their Uncle Steve."_

 _A chuckle._

 _"_ _We retired the team. There is no more Avengers now, we are all just normal people. Barton complains that he has too much time now. Never mind the fact that he was already ready to retire 20 years ago. Just, this time it's final, you know. There is no going back. It'll take a while to get used to. But then again, Wilson's got his son to take care of, and Tasha and Bruce are going to enjoy their free time. Peter's taking over Stark Industries, Pepper is currently familiarizing him with the work of a CEO. I don't know what'll happen to her, to be honest."_

 _A foot tapping against the floor._

 _"_ _I haven't told anyone yet, needed to get it through my own head first. You know me, I've never really been a team player, it's weird now to be around all those people who care. I was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Inoperable. They give me less than year. Can you imagine that? I'm Tony Stark, and yet I'm supposed to hand over everything within a year. I have less than a year to finally get you to wake up."_

 _Suppressed sobs._

 _"_ _I failed you, Steve. I couldn't manage to come up with anything, you'll wake up and we won't be here. We're all dying, slowly, with each day, while you stay just the same. I'm sorry, Steve. I hate myself for it, believe me. I wish I could have been a better friend."_

* * *

He was once again in SHIELD's underground building. He was once again in their medical facility. Somehow, he just couldn't get away from this organization, no matter how hard he tried. He kept coming back to them, always for different reasons.

This time, it was Peter.

Sam Wilson was standing next to him, restlessly moving his fingers around, before finally sticking his hands in the pockets of his pants. His shoulders were hunched, a frown surrounded his lips.

"It's not looking good, is it?", Steve quietly asked.

Sam shook his head.

"He's old. He's grown old quickly, and I believe that the only reason he held on was that he had promised Tony to be around when you wake up. He kept his word. Spiderman fulfilled his last mission, and now he's ready to go and join his team again."

The words cut like a knife.

Steve wondered if he'd ever be able to reunite with his friends, or if he'd just keep waking up in the future. He aged slower but sleeping for several decades twice certainly hadn't helped his case. He couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy at Peter's possibility to leave this world behind.

They had become friends over the past couple months, and Steve had gotten insights in the years he had missed. While he had gotten close to Sam, Peter was a connection to his past, and Steve found himself yearning for the company of the older man. In his company, he felt closer to people who had long left the world behind, and although he knew it wasn't healthy, he allowed himself to give in to this need.

Now, he was about to lose the one connection to his past he had.

"I envy him", Steve admitted quietly, and Sam nodded.

"I figured you feel that way. I can't say I understand, there is no one in this world who could understand what you've been through."

Steve gave the man an honest smile, but before he could say something, the doors open and a doctor stepped out. His face was expressionless, but Steve already knew what he would tell them.

It was time for another goodbye.

The news spread quickly through the facility, and he could hushed hear hushed murmurs everywhere. The death of the last known Avenger was breaking news to everyone, and while superheroes had had quite a hard stance, even the public was saddened and moved by the death of their last hero.

Over the course of the next days, Steve felt as if he was in a bubble. Sam took care of the arrangements for Peter's funeral, handled the press and was a shoulder to lean on for the supersoldier.

When the time came for the casket to be lowered into the ground, people saw it as the end of a chapter. Tales of the heroics of the Avengers were retold, the team was glorified. For a while, sales of merchandise rose and it was possible to encounter kids dressed up as Iron Man and Captain America. Little Spidermen hopped around playgrounds, and red capes and fake hammers could be seen all over the city.

People didn't know that Steve was still alive. Steve, who had to live through the tales, of which he had only experienced the beginning. Who heard his own story again and again. From crashing the plane into the ice, to fighting an alien attack, to being buried by a building. Suddenly, people remembered their heroes, yet he was able to move amongst them unrecognized.

* * *

 _"_ _Hey Cap. It's been a while. Everything still going well? Of course, I wouldn't have expected anything different from you. You never complain about anything. You know, I'm different. I could complain about so many things. Just look at how old I am, Steve. That's already one of the biggest problems. My grandson turned 10 last week. Wouldn't that make you feel old, too? No? No, you're right. You'd probably enjoy it, being able to play Grandpa for tiny babies. Watching them grow up. I wonder if he'll be around when you wake up, or if you'll keep everyone waiting longer than that."_

 _A hand rubbing on skin._

 _"_ _It's been over thirty-five years now, Steve. I know I said that we'd keep trying, but, honestly, everyone lost hope long ago. We gave up when Tony died. We realized that we most likely wouldn't be around when you reach consciousness again. It's a pity, really. We should have been there. Yes, I know, we came to visit. But, what is this, my first visit in three years? I just couldn't get myself to come and see you. It breaks us, being here, you know. You never respond, always just lie there. Still young, while we're old."_

 _A cough._

 _"_ _Tasha is dying. I'm trying to get her to come see you again before her time comes, but I can't promise anything. Just know that I'm doing my best. Well, I probably shouldn't talk. But I came, didn't I? And I'm not dead, not yet anyways. We buried Clint two weeks ago. One less hero in the world that they have to worry about."_

 _A bitter laugh._

 _"_ _I now know we won't be there. I don't think I'll be able to come again. It's too much for my old heart, I'm sorry, Steve. But I'll make sure my grandson sticks around, I hope he'll be here when you wake up."_

* * *

He found himself standing in front of the entrance to SHIELD once again. It would be for the last time, he knew that much. This time, he wasn't about to enter. This time, he was about to leave. Sam was standing a few steps behind, he could feel his presence.

Words were hard to find, they both knew that this was goodbye. There was nothing in New York that held Steve there, Peter had been the last person.

"It's funny", he said quietly. "Fury always used to say that I was the first Avenger. I wasn't created with the intention of forming such a team, but I have been around the longest. I never thought I'd also be the last Avenger to leave this world."

He turned to look at Sam.

"I used to believe that there must be a reason why I'm alive while everyone I knew died. At least, that's what I kept telling myself last time. Now, I'm not so sure. I just finally want to live the life I never had."

Sam smiled at him. It was a soft smile, barely there, the corners of his mouth quickly falling back into a frown.

"I respect your decision, Steve. But, just so you know, if you ever need anything, I-"

"-will be there. I know Sam, and I really appreciate it."

Steve smiled at his friend's grandson, before he turned his head to look at his bike. It wasn't the same one he'd had last time. Transport had evolved, things had changed. But it was close enough, and it would give him the freedom he wanted.

His steps seemed to echo in the silence, and while the thought of leaving left a stone on his heart, he also knew that it would be deliberating.

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine!"

It was the truth, he mused. He would have never thought that he would have to get used to time travel. But somehow, it had happened. He had managed to survive losing everything once before, he would manage to do so again. It wouldn't be easy, it would certainly take time. But he'd heal.

He could feel the access card Peter had given him in the pocket of his leather jacket. A couple days ago, he'd changed the fingerprint detector. He knew Tony wouldn't be exactly happy with the decision to pass on his gift, but in the end, he'd understand. It was the right thing. The era of superheroes was over, the Avengers were no more.

He took the card and held it out to Sam.

"If you ever need the Avengers", he said, "that's where you'll find them."


End file.
